Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brissago

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $3,504 in Brissago, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Brissago
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Brissago Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Brissago

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Brissago

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Brissago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $3,504 in Brissago, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Brissago $3,504

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $5,141 in Brissago, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Brissago $5,141

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $6,777 in Brissago, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Brissago $6,777

Medellin is about 54% cheaper than Brissago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Brissago sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Brissago by 159%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.0K

$29.38 CHF 24.32

-71.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.0K

$123 CHF 102

-61.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 28.9K

$15.55 CHF 12.87

-40.58%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,560

$6.77 CHF 5.61

-54.95%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 COP 5,638

$6.33 CHF 5.24

-71.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,329

$7.21 CHF 5.97

-80.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.1K

$9.14 CHF 7.57

-64.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.4K

$7.99 CHF 6.61

-30.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,703

$2.12 CHF 1.75

-29.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,417

$3.00 CHF 2.48

-21.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,312

$3.14 CHF 2.60

-45.86%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,266

$7.88 CHF 6.53

-62.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.0K

$24.67 CHF 20.42

-58.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.5K

$29.66 CHF 24.55

-67.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.5K

$39.72 CHF 32.88

-65.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 12.9K

$4.03 CHF 3.34

2.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,781

$2.00 CHF 1.65

-23.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,967

$2.76 CHF 2.28

-19.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,108

$4.76 CHF 3.94

-52.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,235

$1.66 CHF 1.37

19.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,222

$2.07 CHF 1.72

-19.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,697

$2.30 CHF 1.90

-48.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,872

$1.35 CHF 1.12

-8.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.1K

$11.12 CHF 9.20

-65.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.2K

$12.14 CHF 10.05

13.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,193

$2.19 CHF 1.81

-24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,523

$2.99 CHF 2.48

-19.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,896

$4.69 CHF 3.88

-73.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.0K

$92.5 CHF 76.6

-15.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 3,996

$8.06 CHF 6.67

-84.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,721

$4.57 CHF 3.79

-52.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.2K

$108 CHF 89.0

-92.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,236

$2.29 CHF 1.89

-41.05%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.8K COP 108.9M

$39.6K CHF 32.8K

-12.21%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.7K COP 108.6M

$39.2K CHF 32.5K

-11.54%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$167 COP 522.0K

$279 CHF 231

-40.36%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.62 COP 42.7K

$28.26 CHF 23.39

-51.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.2K

$56.1 CHF 46.44

-48.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.2K

$79.8 CHF 66.0

-43.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 53.8K

$42.62 CHF 35.27

-59.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.8K

$24.22 CHF 20.04

-71.22%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$790 COP 2.5M

$3,145 CHF 2,603

-74.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.3M

$30.8K CHF 25.5K

-70.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 275.0K

$141 CHF 117

-37.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.1K

$61.7 CHF 51.1

-5.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 435.4K

$154 CHF 128

-9.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 309.7K

$197 CHF 163

-49.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

$1,807 CHF 1,496

-43.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

$1,563 CHF 1,293

-60.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

$2,635 CHF 2,181

-28.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$2,281 CHF 1,888

-55.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

$18.9K CHF 15.6K

-78.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.3M

$10.9K CHF 9,050

-84.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.46

344.72%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brissago: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Brissago

$1.6K 44.6% 152% $943

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Brissago

$579 16.5% 94.5% $282

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Brissago

$364 10.4% 73.7% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Brissago

$249 7.1% 44.3% $76

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Brissago

$479 13.7% 180% $308

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Brissago

$142 4.1% 49.4% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Brissago

$128 3.7% 117% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,807 in Brissago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $123 in Brissago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $579 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇭 Brissago

🕒 Local time

19:45 7:45 PM

01:45 1:45 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,800

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.19 USD

10,000 COP = 2.85 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 3,132 COP (10,000 COP = 3.19 USD). 1 EUR = 3,507 COP (10,000 COP = 2.85 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 0.828 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.927 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Brissago 9,070 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Brissago

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Brissago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,625 in Medellin, $3,504 in Brissago – roughly 116% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $5,256 in Brissago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,028 there versus $1,807 in Brissago.

Groceries cost about 94% more in Brissago, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $123 in Brissago. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Brissago at $3,504. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brissago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Medellin is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 116% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.